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Henry had sufficient success to allow him to invest in an oceangoing ship to Hawaii and Mexico to obtain fresh provisions, and with a friend named Miller founded "Miller and Ellis Grain" on Market street in San Francisco. In the 1870's Ellis took up residency on Lombard Street and became the City's Chief of Police. Later on he became U.S Consul to the Turks Island in the East Indies. In 1885 El... Read more

Henry had sufficient success to allow him to invest in an oceangoing ship to Hawaii and Mexico to obtain fresh provisions, and with a friend named Miller founded "Miller and Ellis Grain" on Market street in San Francisco. In the 1870's Ellis took up residency on Lombard Street and became the City's Chief of Police. Later on he became U.S Consul to the Turks Island in the East Indies. In 1885 Ellis, contemplating retirement, bought a lovely oak-studded property in the agricultural district of Sunol, just east of the San Francisco Bay and its cooling breezes at the base of the 900' Pleasanton Ridge. Here, between 1885 and 1890 he built Elliston, a stately 17 room, three story, neo-Romanesque mansion featuring graceful stone arches and 32" thick walls of blue sandstone quarried in nearby Niles Canyon. Celebrities of the day visited Elliston, including Prince Kuhio and Princess Elizabeth of Hawaii during their round the world tour to visit Queen Victoria in 1898.
In 1890 Ellis planted three acres of vineyard on his Estate, and it is known that wine was produced here. This acreage was included when the Sunol Viticulture District was named in the 1898 report to the State Board of Viticulture consisting of 14 vineyards totaling 148.5 acres and total cooperage of 25,000 gallons. In 1969 the Elliston Estate was purchased by Ramon and Amy Awtrey and has been carefully restored and refurbished with period pieces. Today Elliston is on the National Register of Historic places.
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